Ipswich Town marked a historic moment by securing their first Premier League win of the season, and their first top-flight victory in 22 years, with a 2-1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The win saw the Tractor Boys climb out of the relegation zone and move above Crystal Palace, with Sam Szmodics and Liam Delap scoring the goals to earn Kieran McKenna’s side their long-awaited three points.
Ipswich, who have struggled to hold onto leads since their return to the Premier League this season, finally managed to maintain their advantage and saw out the victory despite a second-half Spurs fightback. Szmodics put Ipswich ahead with a stunning overhead kick before Delap bundled in a second just 10 minutes later. Tottenham’s hopes were raised when Rodrigo Bentancur pulled one back, but Ipswich held firm, with goalkeeper Arijanet Muric making crucial saves to ensure the win.
The victory marked Ipswich’s first top-flight win since a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in April 2002 and their first away win in the Premier League since February 2002, when they triumphed 2-1 at Everton.
Ipswich had struggled to hold leads this season, having dropped 12 points from winning positions in their first 10 league games, the second-worst record in the Premier League. But on Sunday, they ensured they would not add to that tally with a composed and resilient performance in north London.
Ipswich Secure First Premier League Win in 22 Years
The match started with a lively tempo, with Ipswich having the better chances early on. Szmodics saw his close-range effort blocked by Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, and defender Cameron Burgess came close with a header from a corner that struck the crossbar. Ipswich’s early dominance was rewarded in the 21st minute when Szmodics latched onto a cross from Jens Cajuste, finishing coolly after Brennan Johnson failed to close him down.
Ipswich doubled their lead just over 10 minutes later. Omari Hutchinson won the ball in midfield to spark a counter-attack, and although Vicario got a hand to Szmodics’ low cross, the ball deflected off Spurs defender Radu Dragusin and Delap was on hand to smash the ball into the net from right on the goal line.
Spurs were left frustrated in the first half, failing to break down Ipswich’s defense, and it wasn’t until the second half that they began to mount any significant pressure. Four minutes into the restart, Tottenham thought they had pulled one back when Dominic Solanke turned the ball in from a corner. However, the goal was ruled out for a handball, with Solanke playing the ball onto his own arm as he scored.
Spurs eventually found a breakthrough in the 69th minute when Bentancur rose to head home a corner from Pedro Porro. But despite this, Ipswich looked composed and managed to weather the storm. Solanke had another chance late on, but his shot was blocked by Muric, and the keeper was also on hand to deny Timo Werner, who blazed over from a good position.
Ipswich held on to secure a historic win, lifting them to 17th in the table, one point above the relegation zone. The victory ended a wait of 8,238 days since their last Premier League win, which came at home to Middlesbrough in 2002.
For Tottenham, the loss was a blow as they had hoped to climb above local rivals Arsenal before their match against Chelsea. Despite a promising start, Spurs found themselves unable to recover from falling behind, and their inability to convert chances left them frustrated. They had previously come from behind to win in three consecutive home games, but on this occasion, Ipswich’s resilience proved too much.
Tottenham’s defensive lapses were evident, with Johnson failing to close down Szmodics for the first goal, and Bentancur’s loss of possession leading to Ipswich’s second. Spurs struggled to create sustained pressure after Bentancur’s header, with both Solanke and Son Heung-min firing over from outside the box. Despite late efforts, including Werner’s miss, Spurs were unable to find an equalizer, and Ipswich secured a historic victory.
source – BBC
